Establishing Connections in a Spider Web of Social Networks

Besides serving as an effective way of connecting people globally, social networking has become a powerful tool for job hunting and recruiting. For job seekers, these online networks provide a perfect opportunity for marketing their capabilities. For recruiters, social networking tools allow them to locate candidates with specific experience and skills quickly and inexpensively. To make the best use of social media tools, the job hunters and the recruiters may consider the following:

For the job hunters,

• Establish a presence on websites where recruiters or potential employers are likely to visit
• Establish profiles on social network sites, such as LinkedIn, Ryze, Facebook, Twitter, Coworkers.com, alumni networks, and other professional associations, to build new contacts and meet people for sharing knowledge and experience.
• Keep separate profiles for personal and professional use, but maintain consistency in the way you present yourself across different sites
• Showcase your skills, experience, interest; Emphasize your strengths that attract potential employers
• Maintain a track record to allow recruiters to solicit feedback on you from co-workers, both past and present (i.e. joining Coworkers.com)
• Raise your value and broaden your visibility by engaging in regular "tweets", maintain a 75%-25% professional-to-personal tweet ratio, and identify yourself in a professional way
• Set up a blog that represents you; use it for both information capturing as well as telling others about who you are and what you do regularly

For the recruiters,

• Use social media tools to complement traditional recruiting methods and generate a large number of results
• Identify potential candidates online and explore "passive hires", communicate and evaluating these candidates online
• Extend company's networks to become a part of a larger network (a "talent pool") by leveraging its relationships with employees and other businesses
• Set up online job boards to advertise jobs and provide accurate job description
• Employ different social network tools for different types of job openings (ie. use Craiglist for senior positions and Creativecircle for entry to mid-level positions)
• Make company attractive to candidates rather than simply specify the job requirements
  
• Establish a company blog to encourage communication, spot top talents, and project a desirable image to outsiders

Social networking embraces the concepts of "six degree of separation" - two random people can be connected to each other through six other people (Menon). Social network sites weave the weak ties among people into a powerful web of talents and skills by allowing people to tab into other people outside their direct association. It is this powerful web that everyone dabs into for resources. A common complaint from HR professionals is that the large volume of resumes received makes it difficult to identify the qualified candidates. On the other hand, a common complaint from the job seekers is that the recruiters do not always get back to them regarding feedback or decision.

I find social networking beneficial to recruiting because the online process is far more efficient, less costly, and definitely eco-friendly. In addition, both the recruiters and the job applicants get to check one another out, and become better acquainted prior to engaging in further time and cost commitment.

Sources:
Chalian, Henry. "Working with Financial Recruiters." WSJ Blogs - WSJ. 4 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.

"How to Not Hire Someone Via Craigslist." How to Change the World. 27 Aug. 2007. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.

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Menon, Nikhil. "6 Degrees of Recruitment." The Economic Times: Business News, Personal Finance, Financial News, India Stock Market Investing, Economy News, SENSEX, NIFTY, NSE, BSE Live, IPO News. 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.

Miller, Lee E. "Social Networking Has Its Perks." New Jersey Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NJ.com. 21 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.

Porter, Joshua. "The Blog Is the New Resume." Bokardo Social Design by Joshua Porter. 19 Apr. 2007. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.

Schweyer, Allan. "The Power of Weak Ties (in Recruiting)." Small Business and Small Business Information for the Entrepreneur. 1 Aug. 2005. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.

Unlimited Collaboration - Anything. Anywhere. Anytime.

It all began when the Internet came, when can access large amount of information at our fingertips. Then we learned more, transformed more, and expected more. Today, our lives are changed forever and many of us find it painful to live without the Internet even for just one day!

Online collaboration has become popular not only in business organizations, but also government and education institutions. There is a whole spectrum of services to choose from, including browser-based team dashboards, online conferences with video capabilities, resource and document sharing, calendars, and scheduling of events, etc. Companies including Microsoft, IBM, and Google are competing intensely on their offerings of collaboration products to gain market dominance.

The Obama administration has place heavy emphasis on transparency and open government, and appointed the first CIO and CTO for its country. Propelled by the open source software movement, the administration promotes the concept of open government and uses collaborative technologies to solve collective problems at various levels of government.

Today, education institutions throughout the country are focusing more in technology education. More and more students are learning to use web 2.0 technologies to communicate, collaborate, and work together in and out of classrooms. Tools such as the wiki, blogs, videoconferencing, and online chat are adopted to induce creativity, and encourage communication and collaboration among students worldwide. This transformation is also aimed at better preparing the students when they join the workforce.

Like many organizational changes, online collaboration can be successful only if it is embraced by a supportive corporate culture. Such a culture must possess elements that foster trust, such as

• Offering flexible work schedules to employees (and allows telecommuting and off-site workers)
• Willing to share corporate information and project artifacts with others
• Willing to be available for discussing work matters beyond office hours
• Building a team of technically savvy employees
• Providing management support to this new mode of co-working

In the school environment, educators have reported problems associated with the use of online collaboration as follows:

• Not every student has a computer at home to collaborate after school
• Students tend to waste time and become distracted easily when online
• Students use non-authoritative sources and inappropriate materials
• Loss of efficiency caused by technical glitches with computer tools and limited bandwidth
• Restriction placed on web access

As pointed out in the assigned articles, the real benefit of online collaboration does not come from the nifty technologies themselves, but rather from the creative ways in which organizations make the best use of these technologies to meet their business objectives.

Sources:
Alloway, Kristen. "Students Discovering Online Collaboration." New Jersey Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NJ.com. 07 Nov. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

Clancy, Heather. "Collaborate Using Online Tools - PCWorld Business Center." Reviews and News on Tech Products, Software and Downloads - PCWorld. 20 Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

Kelly, Will. "Corporate Culture, Not Technology, Drives Online Collaboration." WebWorkerDaily. 23 Oct. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

Lathrop, Daniel, and Laurel Ruma. "Open Government: Collaboration, Transparency, and Participation in Practice." News for Greater Kansas City - Kansas City InfoZine News. 15 Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.

Orenstein, Gary. "The Cloud Collaboration Wars Ramp Up." GigaOM. 12 Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Mar. 2010.

Virtual Teams - the Good, the Bad, and the Real Beauty

Brainstorming has proven to be an effective means of collaborating and generating ideas for different types of organization. Multiple research findings has also revealed that virtual teams (long distance teams) consistently outperform real teams (face-to-face teams) in brainstorming. While some believe innovative virtual collaboration delivers magical wonders, others still prefer the warm-fuzzy in-person interactions. This week's assigned articles pose some benefits and challenges associated with virtual teams as follows:

Benefits (the "Good")

• Embrace technological advancement by using collaboration tools to stimulate face-to-face interactions


• Complete project work under-budget and ahead of schedule, if managed properly


• Offer flexible work arrangements to employees


• Avoid air travel, lodging, and lengthy non-productive meetings


• Reduce commuting time and cost


• Promote environment-friendly work options


• Have information readily available from one's desktop


• Afford team members equal opportunity to contribute regardless of their physical location


• Empower innovative thinking through diversity in team members

Challenges (the "Bad")

• Require team leaders to put in extra effort in keeping their teams together


• Build and maintain trust among team members, given little face time and a diverse team membership


• Require team leaders to be creative in generating ideas, and effective in making decisions and resolving conflicts


• Ensure that availability, competency, consistency, fairness, openness, and commitment are not compromised


• Orchestrates conference calls, set expectations and accountability for team members


• Overcome organizational resistance to change regarding the new way of collaboration


• Win over individuals who prefer inventing themselves and developing their own work processes rather than collaborating with others


• Large meetings tend to be more informational and political in nature rather than collaborative

The real beauty in these "far flung" virtual teams lies in the ability of smart organizations in integrating new innovative technologies into their businesses. Collaboration tools such as video conferencing via Skype, web conferencing with screen-sharing, sharing online workspaces and applications via WebEx, have facilitated collaboration and fueled productivity. Recently, the improved security features have extended the applicability of virtual collaboration to military use. Like other work teams, successful virtual teams require an effective team composition. Core players include the Leader, the Brain, the Anchor, the Soldier, and occasionally the Freelancer. The Leader comes up with new ideas, sets up a plan, and holds the team together. Based on the ideas, the Brain creates strategy and develops action plans. The Anchor identifies potential problems at the onset. The Soldier executes the action plan with determination. The Freelancer who possesses specific skills is often brought in to fill an assigned role.

If organizations are willing and able to transition their workers to virtual offices, and that we can order groceries online and have them delivered to our door steps, and that we can purchase food tablets (such as pizza, chicken, etc.) and turn them into real food in our high-tech ovens (just like the movie Back to the Future), then we may not have to leave our house at all!

Sources:
Beizer, Doug. "Collaboration Tools Are Ready For the Battlefield." Government Computer News -- Government Computer News. 1 Mar. 2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

"How to Pick Your Million Dollar Crew Mind of a Hustler." Welcome to the Mind of a Hustler. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Kostner, Jaclyn. "6 Ways to Build Trust with Your Virtual Team." Web Meeting Conferencing Web Meeting: Web Conferencing. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Lipnack, Jessica, and Jeffrey Stamps. "The Strange Beauty of Virtual Teams - Jessica Lipnack & Jeffrey Stamps." Business Development Strategy Milestone Group. Oct. 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

"Michael Sampson: The Implementation of Collaboration Tools Does Not Require a Change in Culture." Michael Sampson: Independent Advisory Services on Collaboration Strategy. 16 Oct. 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Sebastio, Nuno. "Brainstorming? Try doing it virtually." Endless Knots. 03 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.

Visser, Gerrit. "Coworking Is (also) : Working Together Online." Smart Mobs. 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2010

Touring the Virtual World in Our Pajamas and Slippers

As virtual world interfaces are gaining popularity, many believe this breakthrough technology would become the future means by which we access information.

Second Life, a popular virtual world, allows users ("residents") to interact and collaborate through customized avatars. Its objective is to offer cost-effective, innovative solutions by integrating virtual world into our traditional real world setting. Second Life has particularly wide application in the education environment. Popular use includes serving as classroom replacements, classroom enhancements, recruiting tools, and self-directed learning tools. Specific benefits include:

• Allows teachers or professors to reuse class materials easily
• Enables the university to offer classes to students around the globe
• Imposes low hardware requirements on students
• Provides an experience that is uniform and compatible to various platforms
• Uses generic tools that are recyclable between classrooms and universities
• Integrates with in-world tools, such as furniture and text-entry equipment, to tailor a classroom setting according to one's needs
• Allows educators to create, monitor, and investigate 'interactive experiments' in science
• Allows users to observe different aspects of the weather and meteorology monitoring lab
• Allows higher education's graduate programs to advertise its capabilities and recruit new students
• Offers interactive teaching tools for self-directed learning, progresses at an individual's own pace and availability

Yale University has created two Second Life islands with two projecrs. The first was a simulation project of the recreation of the Seeley J. Mudd Library on Second Life. The second project was the design of a virtual paper mill on Second Life in which students can explore the mill's operations including the machinery and processes. Both projects offer effective, inexpensive, and seemingly real experiences that would otherwise be unattainable.

Other interesting applications of virtual worlds can be found in purchasing, trading, and social gaming. People purchase virtual gifts at relatively inexpensive price for others and for themselves. For example, people can purchase Facebook gift items, Farm Coins and Cash for Farmville, or Xbox accessories for avatars. These micropurchases can amount to big venue for the creators of such products. Virtual goods are high in intangible value because gift-giving allow people to spread love and "exchange sentiments" with one another. People bought accessories, either to upgrade their avatars or enhance their gaming experience, allow them to express their uniqueness and assert their identities. In the virtual gaming environment, researches are being conducted to study gamers' behavior, which will offer insights to enhancing future gaming experience.

With virtual world interface gaining ground like lightning one obvious question is, when virtual world sales are becoming so quickly, how is that going to impact the real world economy? In other words, if we are satisfied with doing everything in a virtual world, then would we be needing clothing other than pajamas and slippers?

Sources:

Hand, Randall. "Learning in Second Life: Virtual Education VizWorld.com." VizWorld.com - Visualization, Computer Graphics, and Animation. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

O'Donnell, Jayne. "Unlike reality, virtual retail sales are hot, especially for avatars." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

Patuwo, Grace. "Yale Daily News - Virtual world, real money in 'Second Life'" Yale Daily News - The Nation's Oldest College Daily. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

Schonfeld, Erick. "Augmented Reality Vs. Virtual Reality: Which One Is More Real?" TechCrunch. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

"Understanding interaction in virtual worlds." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. 21 Feb. 2010

Are You Ready to Venture into a BRAND New World?

Thanks to the development of social media, contemporary job hunters are afforded new and creative ways of finding that dream job online, without having to blast out blind resumes and constantly look up job-boards. There are online social networks, so-called "Professional Web", that help people manage their career. For example, LinkedIn, Ziggs, and ZoomInfo are great tools that enable people create a profile page, convey their skills and experience, and boost the image they want to present to the world.

Even better, many of these online networking tools are free-of-charge. Yes, I mean FREEBIES, again!

LinkedIn, a relevant social network available since 2003, has aggregated over 20 million members. It offers useful resources for professional and businesses as well as advertises free in-person networking events. Due to its abundant source of people's information, professionals can find creative ways to use the site. While a marketing professional may use it to promote his or her company's brand, conduct market research, look for prospective clients, and check up on competitors, an HR professional may use it to recruit, do background checks, and host email campaigns. All other folks may use it for open networking, Q&A, introductions, recommendations, and many more. Further, some businesses offer cash incentives to anyone who recommends candidates that result in successful hire. To further grow its user base, LinkedIn has also introduced new updates and additions such as group media, profile page, and iPhone application. Like most social networks, LinkedIn has its values as well as its flaws. Thus, users need to be aware of its potentials and use it wisely.

Now that we have venues to make us visible out there, how are we going to do it?

One way to effectively promote ourselves is through Personal Branding. We need to develop a strategy to campaign ourselves. We must be able to address questions such as what makes us stand out from the crowd, what are our greatest strengths and remarkable personal traits, what are our work ethics, and what value-add do we offer to our project teams, etc. We also need to know our mission and our passions (i.e. what do we want to do and what we want to be famous for?) and be able to deliver, with style, a unique and representative message about us.

In campaigning ourselves, one key step is to find ways to gain visibility. Some ways to promote word-of-mouth marketing include engaging in activities that can enrich our profile and show our skills, maintaining good social networks with our colleagues and friends, and growing influence and reputational power over those we work or associate with. The goal is to create a perception in others that we exhibit creditability, leadership, and power. Sometimes, it may mean teaching a class, contributing to a local newspaper, joining panel discussion, or presenting at workshops. Other times, it may mean volunteering for tasks at work that can broaden our involvement and thus allow us to voice our opinion on important issues. Bear in mind that, in order to get optimal results from using social media such as LinkedIn, we must invest time and effort in regularly assessing the changing market. This allows us to keep our skills in line with the market demand, and reinvent ourselves as necessary to maintain our brand's value.

Will all being said and done, is it safe to assume that our career would be a smooth sailing, with little left to do except inquiring the Magic 8-Ball regarding our luck or waiting for a wishing star to zoom by? Or, do we still feel that our career remain a challenge, like a checkerboard, a maze, or even a Rubix Cube?

Sources:

Branding Image

Lidsky, David. "It's Not Just Who You Know." FastCompany.com - Where ideas and people meet | Fast Company. 19 Dec. 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Peters, Tom. "The Brand Called You." FastCompany.com - Where ideas and people meet | Fast Company. 18 Dec. 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Ryan, Liz. "The Savvy Networker." Yahoo! HotJobs - Thousands of jobs. Find the right one. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Wallace, Brian. "How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn." Social Media News and Web Tips – Mashable – The Social Media Guide. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.

Beware of Mobile Stalkers...They're on the Loose

Many telecommunication businesses believe that the GPS-enabled phone is a game changer in the wireless phone industry. As early as 2007, mobile social networking already existed, integrated with GPS location awareness programs (such as Buddy Beacon and Rave Guardian) and cut-down versions of social networks (such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter). Businesses expect this nifty new gadget to spice up the life of many, especially those under 25. While many embrace this new revolutionary technology with open arms, others fear potential cyberstalking.

Here are some positive and negative aspects of Mososo:

Pros:

• The GPS-enabled phone can pinpoint your location and direct you to places such as famous landmarks, motorway services, restaurants, or other entertainments.

• The whereabouts of your friends can be quickly located, making it easier for you to hang out with them.

• Software like Ubisafe can help parents to track the exact location of their children.
  

• The GPS alert services can help locate an elderly relative in distress quickly.

• A cyberscort service, such as Rave Guardian provided by Rave Wireless, Inc., links to campus police to ensure the safe arrival college students to their destination.

• Location-based services can generate business opportunities through the use of ad marketing.
  

Cons:

• To some, there are privacy concerns since the GPS phone keep tabs of you even while you are asleep and you have no control over who knows where you are (or who is stalking you)

• Being tracked by your friends, boss, or loved ones every minute of the day can be quite annoying.

• Being bombarded by location-based services with targeted ads and updates, and having your phone screen clogged up regularly can be irritating.

• Location awareness posts safety concerns. Pedophiles or identity thieves can hack into the mobile network and locate the whereabouts of you and your family members.

• The software application can be extremely addictive. Youngsters can stay logged into a virtual network, thus losing awareness of the real world.

Two years ago, some people were skeptical of the location awareness program on wireless phones. Today, it is evident that this integration solution is gaining popularity. As an example, back in 2007 mobile social network programs (like Buddy Beacon) were available only on compatible phones. Today, such programs run on multiple wireless carriers and phones. Speaking of which, Campus Police at American University is currently using Rave Guardian as a part of its student safety program.

Well then, if we had food, water (although some may prefer beer), and a GPS-enabled phone that we could text, send photos, watch movies, hound our friends, and locate hot spots (of course transportation and some money would be nice), then what else would we want?

Sources:

Cieslak, Marc. "Rise and Rise of the GPS Mobile." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 7 Mar. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

Goodale, Gloria. "Students' New Best Friend: 'MoSoSo'" The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. 19 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

Hamilton, Anita. "A Wireless Street Fight - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 15 Feb. 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

McCarthy, Caroline. "The Mobile Social: Not Ready for Prime Time?" Technology News - CNET News. 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

Samsung Mobile Phone. Digital image. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

Is the World Getting Creepier?

David Simond's Word of Mouse discusses Conversational Marketing, a new breakthrough of online marketing. Through this form of advertising, marketers draw on the the power of the Internet social networks, such as Facebook and Myspace, to connect to consumers and promote their products and services.

As expected, there are pros and cons to this new trend.

Pros:

• It's cool to become friends (or fans) of my favorite bands and organizations on Facebook because I get updates on what's new (e.g. new music, latest fashion, upcoming events, discounts, and freebies). I happened to be a fan of AMF 300 Shady Grove, a local bowling alley. It is just notified me about college night on Thursdays from 9:00 PM to midnight. College students who show their college ids can play unlimited bowling for just $10, eat for $5, and drink for $3.

• It is also good to show what you're a fan of. Not only does it serve as a conversation starter, it also come in handy when friends and family need hints on finding me gifts.
  

Cons:

• I find the Fandango scenario kind of creepy. Imagine you purchase movie tickets (via Fandango) while signed into Facebook, it automatically notifies your Facebook friends via news feed as to which movie, what theater, and what showtime. If the "not-so-desirable" someone decides to come along or show up unexpectedly, it's not easy to say "no". In fact, this is also true with online Blockbuster Movie Rentals. When you add a movie into your queue, it notifies your Facebook friends via news feed which movies you are interested in seeing.
  

• I also find the status update on Facebook creepy. Sometimes it feels like someone is watching what I put out there. For example, if I update my status or information page about liking Starbucks, there would be abs on the right offering free $25.00 gift card (which is usually a scam attempting to solicit personal information.

Regarding the statement that "Facebook allows its users to opt out of sharing their information", I find it frustrating at time. Facebook updates its site as often as people change clothes, and when that happens, all the privacy settings get messed up. It sucks because everything gets shared again until we reconfigure the settings.

For the article Why Conversational Marketing Requires Fundamental Business Change, Vicky Tamaru identified three requirements of conversational marketing to be effective. These include on-going, two-way, and authentic conversation with the customers. However, I feel that these are general marketing strategies for most businesses. In order to retain customers, a business must maintain good relationships with them and earn their trust and loyalty.


Sources:
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Tamaru, Vicky. "Why Conversational Marketing Requires Fundamental Business Change | Branded Entertainment." Business Resources, Advice and Forms for Large and Small Businesses. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.

"Word of Mouse." Economist.com. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.